The work refers to the exile of the French philosopher and playwright, Voltaire, in the town of Ferney in Switzerland. The Stork alighting on the fence in the foreground is thought to represent Voltaire who, during his exile spent time protecting inhabitants of the village from religious intolerance. Voltaire was apparently christened a stork by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, for reasons which remain unexplained, according to Chester. He proposes nevertheless, that the philosopher was thus caricatured because, '...a stork makes a loud noise by the chattering of its mandibles...' It is nevertheless the case that The Philospher of Ferney has an extraordinary visionary and fairytale quality, anticipating the illustrations of Arthur Rackham.